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By Evan Massey
Contributing Sports Writer
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The Cleveland Browns do not seem interested at all in letting rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders get on the field anytime in the near future. That much was made clear by their decision ahead of Week 5 against the Minnesota Vikings.
Before facing the Vikings, Kevin Stefanski and the coaching staff decided to bench veteran quarterback Joe Flacco. In his place, third-round rookie Dillon Gabriel will get the start.
While some thought that Sanders would slide up to being the team's backup signal caller, the coaching staff had other plans. Flacco will simply drop back to being the primary backup. If for some reason Gabriel comes off of the field this week, Flacco will be right back in the game running the offense.
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Multiple reports have come out that the Browns would rather not see Sanders take the field during his rookie season. That could change, but the actions of the team have shown that they are certainly avoiding the scenario for now.
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That being said, one Cleveland coach spoke out with a brutal reality for Sanders. Tommy Rees, the team's offensive coordinator, made a matter-of-fact statement about the quarterback situation.
“Just feel like Joe’s gonna stay the No. 2 right now and has done a lot to prepare and be ready to go in a pinch,” Rees said.
Granted, there is still a chance that Sanders could force his way onto the field at some point this season with the Browns. But, it does feel like he's facing an uphill battle against a coaching staff that doesn't want to play him.
At some point, the Browns would be wise to see what he's capable of doing. If Gabriel struggles, playing Sanders would allow them to get a look at what they have in each of their young quarterbacks before having to decide what to do in the 2026 NFL Draft. Cleveland will have two first-round picks which could help them get aggressive for a quarterback.
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However, if Sanders or Gabriel shows promise for the future, the Browns could instead use those two picks to improve the rest of the roster. They can't afford to use a pick on another quarterback if they don't have to.
Only time will tell, but for it now it certainly doesn't sound like Cleveland plans to play Sanders. He'll just have to continue working hard and trying to prove that he's ready to play in practice.
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